Abstract:
Small‐scale wind energy harvesting from vortex‐induced vibrations (VIV) has been introduced in recent years as a renewable power source for microelectronics and wireless sensors. Previous studies have focused on modeling and optimizing the VIV‐based piezoelectric energy harvester (VIVPEH) structures and simplified the complicated interface circuits as pure resistors with an alternating current (AC) output. In practice, an AC output is required to be transformed into a direct current (DC) followed by further regulations before being used for real applications. Incorporating the rectification and regulation, traditional theoretical and numerical models will become extremely cumbersome and even impossible. To address this issue, this work proposes an equivalent circuit model (ECM) for a typical VIVPEH. The Scanlan‐Ehsan aerodynamic force model is employed to describe the fluid‐structure interaction. Wind tunnel experiments are carried out to validate the derived model. The performances of the VIVPEH with AC and DC interface circuits are subsequently analyzed and compared to understand the influences of these circuits on the operational wind speed bandwidth, power output, vibration amplitude, and electrical damping.
